2012 SEC Championship Game

the SEC men's basketball championship of the same year 2012 SEC men's basketball tournament August 2023 SEC Championship Game Conference Championship 2012 SEC Football Championship Game Logo.png 2012 SEC Championship Logo December 1 2012 2012 Georgia Dome Atlanta, Georgia University of Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide 11–1 2 2 2 Nick Saban 0 10 8 14 University of Georgia Georgia Bulldogs 11–1 3 3 3 Mark Richt 0 7 14 7 RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama Alabama by 7½ Tom Ritter Dr Pepper $100,000 Tuition Throw 75,624 CBS Verne Lundquist (play-by-play)Gary Danielson (color)Tracy Wolfson (sideline) 16.2 million viewersRachel Cohen, Can BCS Title Game Challenge TV Ratings Record?, AP via ABCNews.com, January 4, 2013 The 2012 SEC Championship Game was played on December 1, 2012, in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, and determined both the 2012 football champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game featured the Georgia Bulldogs, winners of the SEC East Division versus the Alabama Crimson Tide, the winner of the SEC West Division. Because Alabama and Georgia were respectively ranked 2 and 3, the game was considered a de facto semifinal game, as the winner would automatically face the undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the National Championship with no vote necessary. Georgia was the designated "home" team. The game was televised by CBS Sports for the twelfth straight season. Kickoff was scheduled at 4:00 (EST)., 2012 SEC Championship Game Alabama won the game 32–28 improving their record to 4–4 in the title game. Alabama's Eddie Lacy was named MVP after rushing for 181 yards and two touchdowns. The game at the time was the most watched college football game of the 2012 season (it would be surpassed by the 2013 BCS National Championship Game on January 7, 2013) with the game receiving a 10.1 share or 21.0 million viewers tuned in.Alabama holds off Georgia, reaches BCS championship game https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=323360061 ESPN 23 November 2013 Background Alabama had won the 2012 BCS National Championship Game after defeating LSU 21-0https://allstatesugarbowl.org/sports/2022/4/18/2012-allstate-bcs-national-championship-january-9-2012.aspx 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship January 9, 2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl 13 October 2025 in a rematch of its "Game of the Century" matchup earlier in the season, and came into the 2012 season ranked second in the AP preseason poll behind USC. Georgia appeared in the 2011 SEC Championship Game, but was soundly defeated by LSU 42–10.https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/lsu-out-scores-georgia-42-10/ LSU Out Scores Georgia, 42-10 4 December 2011 CBS Miami Associated Press 13 October 2025 After losing its Outback Bowl game against Michigan State, Georgia was ranked 19th in the final AP poll of 2011, but rose to sixth in the 2012 preseason rankings. At the start of week 12 of the 2012 season, both Alabama (with a loss to Texas A&M) and Georgia (having lost to South Carolina) were 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the SEC, with Alabama being ranked fourth in the AP poll and Georgia ranked fifth. Above them were Oregon, Kansas State, and Notre Dame, all undefeated. The only other undefeated FBS team was Ohio State, right behind Georgia at sixth, but they were ineligible to participate in postseason games that year due to NCAA sanctions. November 17, 2012 saw both Oregonhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2012/11/17/pac-12-north-college-football-stanford-cardinal-oregon-ducks/1711709/ No. 13 Stanford ruins No. 1 Oregon's perfect season USA Today 17 November 2012 Schroeder George 13 October 2025 and Kansas Statehttps://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/big12/2012/11/17/no-2-kansas-state-klein-upset-52-24-at-baylor/1711881/ Kansas State's national title hopes crushed by Baylor USA Today Associated Press 17 November 2012 13 October 2025 suffer their first losses of the season, while Notre Dame remained unbeaten and both Alabama and Georgia won their non-conference matchups. This led to Notre Dame taking over first place, with Alabama jumping to second place and Georgia to third.https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2012-polls.html 2012 College Football Polls Sports Reference 13 October 2025 At this point it was clear that if all three teams won the remainder of their games, Notre Dame would secure a spot in the BCS National Championship game, and Alabama and Georgia would win their respective SEC divisions and face each other in the conference championship to determine Notre Dame's opponent. The following week, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Georgia all won their rivalry games and were ranked first, second, and third respectively in the AP poll and BCS rankings. This rare scenario in which the path to the national championship was straightforward contrasted with the controversy of many other years of the BCS, including the previous year, when the Alabama-LSU rematch was widely panned as uncompetitive and uninteresting compared to potential alternative matchups.https://www.si.com/college/2018/07/10/lsu-alabama-2011-bcs-title-game-playoff LSU vs. Alabama: How 2011 national championship game doomed BCS Sports Illustrated Dellenger Ross July 10, 2018 13 October 2025 Game summary thumb|left|Alabama's offense lines up against Georgia's defense during the third quarter. After the first-ever scoreless first quarter in this game's history,Woodburn Peter Alabama vs. Georgia 2012 results: Bama claims title, shot at national championship December 2012 https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2012/12/1/3715988/georgia-alabama-2012-sec-championship-game-2012 SB Nation 23 November 2013 the teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter. Alabama kicked a field goal as time expired in the first half to take a 10–7 lead. Georgia took the game's largest lead in the third quarter with two touchdowns, the second of which was an Alec Ogletree 55-yard return of a blocked field goal. Alabama answered with a rushing touchdown and two-point conversion by T. J. Yeldon. Eddie Lacy's second touchdown of the game put the Tide ahead as the fourth quarter began. These two Alabama running backs each finished the game with over 150 yards; they are the first duo of running backs in SEC championship history to each have even 100 yards. The Bulldogs once again went in front by three on their very next drive, when they took only two minutes to answer with a Todd Gurley touchdown run. Georgia's defense continued to allow Alabama yardage on the ground, but they forced an Alabama punt with 7:14 remaining, still up by three. Georgia could only keep the ball for four plays and two minutes, though, as they punted back to the Tide with 5:24 left in the game. Georgia's defense was "stacking the line," using an extra defender to prevent gains on the ground. Alabama took advantage: on first down with three minutes left, quarterback A. J. McCarron used play action to free up Amari Cooper for a 45-yard touchdown pass. The Alabama defense forced Georgia to punt with two minutes left. But, Georgia used all of their timeouts while their defense also held firm. A punt gave Georgia one last drive, starting from their own 15-yard line. It seemed as if the game was over when Dee Milliner appeared to have intercepted a pass on the fourth play of the drive. However, replay overturned the interception ruling, and Georgia again had an opportunity. Three more long passes brought the Bulldogs all the way to the 8-yard line with the clock winding down. With 9 seconds to play, an Aaron Murray pass toward the end zone was deflected by CJ Mosley toward Chris Conley in the field of play. Surprised to see the ball—he was not the intended receiver on the play—Conley caught the pass as he fell down in-bounds at the 5-yard line. The clock ran out before Georgia could run another play. Scoring summary Alabama Georgia expanded 2 13:59 Georgia 13 87 4:48 RecTD Jay Rome Aaron Murray 19 good Marshall Morgan 0 7 2 1:59 Alabama 6 70 3:05 RushTD Eddie Lacy 41 good Jeremy Shelley 7 7 2 0:00 Alabama 5 42 1:15 FG 22 Jeremy Shelley 10 7 3 12:09 Georgia 9 75 2:51 RushTD Todd Gurley 3 good Marshall Morgan 10 14 3 6:31 Georgia 11 43 5:38 Other Cade Foster 49-yd Field Goal blocked, returned by Alec Ogletree for 55 yards for a touchdown good Marshall Morgan 10 21 3 4:19 Alabama 4 62 2:12 RushTD T. J. Yeldon 10 run good 18 21 4 14:57 Alabama 7 74 3:07 RushTD Eddie Lacy 1 good Jeremy Shelley 25 21 4 12:54 Georgia 5 75 2:03 RushTD Todd Gurley 10 good Marshall Morgan 25 28 4 3:15 Alabama 4 55 2:09 RecTD Amari Cooper A. J. McCarron 44 good Jeremy Shelley 32 28 32 28 Notes This was Alabama's 8th appearance in the title game. The previous seven appearances were all against the Florida Gators. This was Georgia's 5th appearance and second consecutive SEC Championship game. This was the first meeting between the schools since 2008. From 2006 to 2012, the winner of this game played in the BCS National Championship Game seven straight times with a record of 6–1 (LSU was defeated by fellow SEC member Alabama following winning the 2011 SEC Championship Game). Alabama's victory in this game, along with their ranking based on their season-long performance, earned them a spot in the BCS National Championship Game, where they defeated Notre Dame 42–14. They finished the season as the top-ranked team in the AP poll. Georgia went on to appear in the Capital One Bowl, where they defeated Oklahoma 45-31. They were ranked fifth in the final AP poll of the season. References Championship Game Category:SEC Championship Game Category:American football competitions in Atlanta Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football games Category:Georgia Bulldogs football games SEC Championship Game SEC Championship Game SEC Championship Game